In large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together, then add eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and melted butter. Mix with a whisk or a blender until smooth in texture.

Pour mix into pie crusts and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. Pie will be brown (and sometimes rises a little). After baking, place on rack to cool. Slice and serve with a favorite topping. (Cooper’s go-to topping is fresh strawberries.)

Bradrick Cooper of Coop’s West Texas Barbecue in Lemon Grove is among local chefs who will be serving up good food at Saturday’s San Diego Soul Food Festival. Asked to share a favorite recipe, Cooper sent instructions for his grandmother’s old-fashioned buttermilk pie.

Cooper says the first time he ate it, his grandmother tricked him into taking a bite, knowing that he didn’t like buttermilk. He rated it delicious.

After his grandmother passed away, Cooper says, “I started making buttermilk pie in honor of my Granny, who taught me so much.”